Painting is an expression of man’s deepest instincts and emotions reconciled and integrated with his social experience and social heritage. It is a visual art, which is connected with the power of imagination, ideal and energy and finds expression through colors.
The tradition of Indian painting rests in antiquity. Indian legends and folklores attribute the art of painting to Narayana - one of the prime Indian deities. It believed that Narayana taught the art of painting to Visvakarma and spread its knowledge to the world.
There are several treatises known as Shilpashastras, which discuss the techniques of producing a masterful painting. Mostly natural colors, derived from the pigments of minerals, vegetables, animal products and lampblack were employed in The themes varied from secular to religious. The cave paintings in Mirzapur district, in Uttar Pradesh, Adamgarh quarry at Hoshangabad, and Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, depicting hunting scenes and figures of animals like stag, elephant, and hare are the earliest examples of paintings. The deftness in execution and all pervasive freshness and vitality of these paintings provide insight into the life and times of that period.
The murals at Ajanta and Bagh, which made appearance in the beginning of the Christian era are till date considered as great centers of Buddhist art. Besides these murals, several wall paintings embellished the royal palaces.
The illustrated Buddhist and Jain manuscripts and miniatures from the Mughal, Rajput, Deccan and Company schools of the medieval period, are noted for their liveliness, finesse and sophistication.
The Bengal Renaissance brought the phase of modern art, which was nourished by the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, and Raja Ravi Verma.
There was interaction, fusion and the harmony in the styles, which developed and defined the tradition of Indian painting.
Paintings reflected the philosophy, culture and thought of India where the painter is often referred to as ‘yogi’, rendered with immense devotion and reverence to the art.
We at Ethnicpaintings attempt to take you through an illuminating journey of the vibrant world of Indian paintings, its forms, styles, and artists. You can explore, and experience the energy that shaped Indian art.
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